This invention relates to wireless communicators, and more particularly to systems and methods for using wireless communicators.
Wireless communicators are widely used for personal communications. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cwireless communicatorxe2x80x9d includes a cellular radiotelephone with a multiline display, a Personal Communications System (PCS) terminal that may combine a cellular radiotelephone with data processing, facsimile and data communications capabilities, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) that can include a radiotelephone, pager, intemet/intranet access, web browser, organizer, calendar and/or a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, and conventional laptop and/or palmtop receivers that include radiotelephone transceivers. Wireless communicators also may be referred to as xe2x80x9cpervasive computingxe2x80x9d devices.
Since wireless communicators can have the capabilities of sending and receiving telephone calls, faxes, email, pages and web pages, they often may be used in environments and circumstances where conventional computers and telephones generally are not used. Accordingly, it may be generally desirable to make at least one of the above-mentioned functions location-sensitive. This contrasts with conventional desktop environments wherein the desktop is generally used in the same physical setting each time, and usually operate in the same or similar environment.
One attempt at making a wireless communicator location-sensitive is described in published Research Disclosure Document No. RD-0407091 having an extended title xe2x80x9cDynamic Loading of Locale Specific HTML Page Choosing Particular Set of Localised HTML Pages With Pages Determined by Locale Application is Currently Running in With Application Dynamically Selecting Correct Set of Pages to Display in Web Browser Without Any User Interaction. As described therein, a locale-specific HTML page is dynamically loaded for a web browser, with an application dynamically selecting a correct set of pages to display in the web browser without any user interaction. However, as wireless communicators continue to proliferate, there continues to be a need for improved systems and methods for providing location-sensitive features in wireless communicators. 
The present invention provides systems and methods for identifying a service provider such as a physician or an automobile mechanic from a wireless communicator, based on categories of service providers such as physicians or automobile mechanics. It will be understood that a service provider can include a vendor of goods.
In particular, a radiotelephone call is initiated from the wireless communicator to a first telephone number that corresponds to a first service provider of a first category, for example a first physician. The wireless receiver then detects that the radiotelephone call is not successfully completed, for example by detecting that a busy signal is obtained from the first telephone number, by detecting that a radiotelephone call to the first telephone number is repeatedly initiated during a predetermined time and/or by detecting that radiotelephone calls to multiple telephone numbers corresponding to service providers of the first category are initiated during a predetermined time.
If the radiotelephone call is not successfully completed, a listing is obtained at the wireless communicator of at least a second telephone number that corresponds to at least a second service provider of the first category. At least part of the listing is displayed on the wireless communicator, so that a radiotelephone call may be initiated from the wireless communicator in response to selection of the second service provider of the first category. Thus, in the example where the service provider is a physician, if a radiotelephone call to a first physician is initiated and is not successfully completed, a listing of physicians may be displayed on the wireless communicator display so that other physicians may be called.
The initial radiotelephone call may be initiated by displaying a prestored listing of service providers on the wireless communicator, including the first service provider of the first category. A stored directory of the wireless communicator user""s frequently used numbers may be stored in the wireless communicator, along with an indication of a category of service provider. Alternatively, in more sophisticated wireless communicators, xe2x80x9celectronic business cardsxe2x80x9d may be stored in the wireless communicator, that identify a service provider as well as an associated category of service.
When a listing of at least a second telephone number is obtained at the wireless receiver, the listing of at least a second service provider of the first category preferably corresponds to the geographic location of the wireless communicator. The geographic location of the wireless communicator may be identified, for example, using a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or by identifying a geographic location of a base station and/or a satellite beam over which the wireless communicator is communicating. A listing of at least a second telephone number that corresponds to at least a second service provider of the first category in the geographic location is obtained. Preferably, a Yellow Pages directory listing is obtained from the Internet, corresponding to the geographic location of the wireless communicator. Other directories may be used.
According to another aspect of the invention, when a listing is wirelessly obtained, a default display for telephone number listings is first obtained and displayed. For example, a web browser may be used to obtain and display a Yellow Pages home page. The listing then is displayed either on the home page or on another web page. The home page may take an unacceptably long time to download to the wireless communicator, due to the graphics and/or animation thereof. Accordingly, if the default display cannot be obtained within a predetermined time, the listing is wirelessly obtained and displayed without first wirelessly obtaining and displaying the default display.
The above-described aspect of the invention may be used independent of the systems and methods for identifying a service provider based on categories of service providers. In particular, a default display for a wireless communicator may be wirelessly obtained if the default display can be wirelessly obtained within a predetermined time. The default display is displayed on the wireless communicator if the default display was obtained within the predetermined time. The desired information is displayed on the wireless communicator.
After displaying at least part of the listing on the wireless communicator, a radiotelephone call may be initiated to a telephone number that is contained in the at least part of the listing that is displayed on the wireless communication, in response to selection of the telephone number. Accordingly, if a wireless communicator user is unsuccessful in reaching a known service provider of a particular category, a listing of alternate service providers in that category may be obtained so that an alternate service provider may be readily selected. Improved systems and methods for using wireless communicators are thereby provided.